Squeegee.



P. J. MATGHETTE. SQUEEGEE. APPLIOATIOH FILED DEG. 17, 1908.

,057,253. I Patented Mar. 25,1913;

Wdtme6'8e8': f'm

FM Pun,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mama. riATcnETTn'oF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

seunnenn.

To all whom it'mcy concern:

"' Be it known that I, FRANK J. MATGHETTE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at' Milwaukee, 'in'the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Squeegees, of which the following is .a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, forming a art thereof.

-This invention reates more particularly to tools for use in connection with air cleaning apparatus. Its main objects are to remove the water or other liquid as it is wiped up or collected by the squeegee; to dry the surfaces or objects over whlch the tool is moved; and generally to increase the efliciency and improve the construction and operation. of devices of'this class for wet cleaning.

It consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawing like characters designate the same parts in the several figures.

Figure l is a View partly in .rear' elevation and partly in vertical cross section on the line 1 1, Fig. 3, of a device embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a partial end elevationas viewed from the right relative to- Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1.

The device comprises a hollow or chambered head which may be conveniently made as shown, of a metal tube 0;, having a slot or passage in the under side running lengthwise of the tube and transverse to the direction of the movement of the head, in the normal operation of the tool. It is provided with a tubular or hollow operating shank b which communicates through an opening in theup er part of the tube with the interior thereo and forms a suction connection for exhausting airand liquid and dirt entrained therewith, through the slotted head. The shank is provided as shown. in Fig. 3 with a coupling for the attachment of a tubular handle 0 to the tool. This coupling may consist of one or more severed elastic rings 01, loosely confined at the end of the .vided at the ends with Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 25, 1913. Application med December 17, 1900. v semi No. 467,991.

' shank b in which the handle is freely fitted,

so that when the handle is thrust mto the coupling it will be held therein by frictional engagement with said rings, and capable of turmng freely with the rings in the shank. The tubular handle a will in practice be connected by hose with a vacuum pump or reservoir (not shown) as in the case of other vacuum cleaning tools. The tube a is proshown at the right in pieces being formed with openin s g toreceive the ends of a longitudina ly slotted metal tube '72., which is fitted to turn there- 'in. 'The openings 9 which are approximately of the form of a keyhole, extend bearing pieces f as Fig. 1, these bearing downwardly to and register with the ends of the slot in the under side of the tube a.

The edges of the tube a next to theslot therein, are preferably flanged or bent inwardly, as shown. The openings g are izlgsed at the ends of the head by caps or 1 s t, Fig. 1, "is pivoted to the adjacent bearing piece, so that it can be opened for withdrawing the tube h from the tube or head a. A. flexible or elastic wiper, strip or squeegee y' made of rubber or other is beaded or thickened along its back or upper edge, to fitinto the tube 'h, from which it extends downwardly through the slot in the lower side of the tube a when the parts suitable material,-

one of which 'as shown at the right in of the tool are assembled, the slot being somewhat wider than the thickness of the wiper, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the tool, the protr ud-' ing lower edge of the wiper is moved to and fro over the surface to be cleaned, the tubular handler being connected with a source of vacuum or air exhausting means. When the tool. is drawn toward the operator, the wiper is swung and held against the outer side of the slot in the tube a, leaving an opening on theopposite side into the tube, through which i the water or other liquid f and dirt collected by the wiper are drawn by the current of air. As the movement of thetool is reversed or pushed away from the operator, the wip'er j is swung and held against the inner side of the slot, leaving an opening on the outer side through which liquid and dirt collected by the wiper will be drawn. It will'thus be seen that the wiper is reversible, and works both in the to and fro movements of the squeegee.

By simply turning the pivoted cap or lid.

.drawn endwise from the head a.

5 to uncover the adjacent opening g, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the wiper with the tube lain which it is held, may be with- It may also be readily withdrawn from the slotted tube h and as readily replaced. The flexible or elastic wiper or strip j.may thus be easily removed from the tool and renewed or repaired.

The swivel and detachable connection of the tubular handle 0 with the shank of the tool admits of readily removing the tool from the handle and permits the handle to turn in the shank so that the tubular head a and wi er may assume any desired position relatlve to the hose connection.

,Various changes in details of construc- .tion may be made without departing from the principle and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a squeegee the combination of a hollow head having a slot in the under side and a suction connection communicating with said slot, a longitudinally slotted tube pivotally mounted in Said head parallel with the slot therein, and a wiper secured along its upper edge in the slot of said tube and extending therefrom loosely through the slot in the head.-

2. In a squeegee the combination of a hollow head having a slot in the under side, a

' suction connection communicating with said slot and bearings in the ends, a longitudinally slotted tube revolubly mounted in said bearings through one of which it is capable of being withdrawn endwise from the head,

and a wiper secured in said tube and projecting therefrom loosely through the slot in the head.

3-; In a squeegee the combination of a slotted hollow head having a suction connection, a longitudinally slotted tube removably mounted in said head, and a wiper having a beaded edge which is removably fitted in said tube and extending therefrom through the slot in the head.

4. In a squeegee the combination of a slotted hollow head having bearings in the ends and a suction connection, a longitudinally slotted tube fitting said bearings, a

wiper having a bead along one edge which,

is fitted and'held in said tube and extending therefrom through the slot in the head, one end of the head being formed with an opening through which the wiper and tube are removable together endwise, and a closure for said opening.

In witness whereof I hereto afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J MATCHETTE. Witnesses:

GHAS. L. Goes, PnRoY S. KAUFMAN. 

